A photo posted by Penelope Dullaghan (@penelope_dullaghan) on Nov 2, 2016 at 6:00pm PDT

“The purpose of yoga is awareness, not perfected poses, beliefs, or any kind of attainment. Awareness from moment to moment requires quiet strength, flexibility, and balance. A good yoga practice develops exactly these characteristics.” ~ Jim Gaudette

Let’s be honest, for many of us, this has been an appalling year.

Stupefying.

It has left us unsure of how to see hope or positivity.

I was thinking about this the other day as I was teaching a tough sequence in yoga class, and I felt a change in my perspective take place. I had an insight into what we can do to find authentic support and a powerful outlook.

At last, I started to rally.

In yoga, there are times when we are called upon to find our strength, flexibility and balance. The challenge is not just physical but mental—for we need the determination to build strength, the awareness to be open to new directions, and the patience to repeatedly try to balance.

As we bear with our obstacles, it will allow us to know ourselves better and to develop deeper emotional and physical skills and resilience.

After the challenge is over, we will find ourselves more centered, more efficient, more relaxed, more effective and incredibly capable of doing the work that needs to be done.

We are at the beginning of a four-year challenge.

It will take determination, awareness and patience. It will require daily practice. It will call on us to use and develop our skills now more than ever.

During this time, we will become strong, flexible and balanced. Strong enough to face daily oppression without allowing it to create bitterness or resentment. Flexible enough to find a way to release our arguments in order to hear, connect and possibly guide opposition to a place of understanding. Balanced enough to neither fill our lives with negativity nor to numb our feelings to get by. Rather, we will allow ourselves to spend more time doing the things that empower, nourish and bring us to equilibrium.

Let now be the rise of the warrior within.

Let love, compassion and equality for all people be our message. Let us come together in our communities and practice what it means to show up for each other.

We cannot be silent, but instead we must speak up, speak out and tell the stories that humanize us and allow people to see that we each have many dimensions.

Be visible, breathe and take action to create the world we want to live in, as well as foundations for our future.

Now is the time for all of us to know—beyond doubt and in every single moment—that we are not alone. We are incredible. And not only do we belong here, but we make the world a more diverse, fascinating and brilliant place.

~

“The essence of warriorship, or the essence of human bravery, is refusing to give up on anyone or anything.”
~ Chögyam Trungpa

~

Author: David Vendetti

Image: Penelope Dullaghan

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren